Closure and pouring device for cartons and like containers, having a cutting edge for opening the container



y 1955 E. A. YOUNG CLOSURE AND POURING DEVICE FOR CARTONS AND LIKE CONTAINERS, HAVING A CUTTING EDGE FOR OPENING THE CONTAINER Filed June 14, 1951 Hlllililllllllm United States Patent CLOSURE AND POURING' DEVICE FOR CARTONS AND LIKE CONTAINERS, HAVING A CUTTING EDGE FOR OPENING THE CONTAINER Ernest Anthony Young, Kingston, British West Indies Application June 14, 1951, Serial No. 231,475

Claims priority, application Great Britain December 19, 1950 Claims. (Cl. 222-91) The present invention relates to a closure and pouring device for cartons, thin walled boxes and like containers or cartons particularly for granular, powdered and like substances. The invention is of application especially to cartons of cardboard which contain substances such as washing powders, soap flakes or powders, soapless detergent powders, but can also be used with cartons containing certain foodstuffs such as cereals, salt, sugar, rice and like substances.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a stopper and pouring device which can be secured in place to a carton or the like quickly and easily and which when in position can be manipulated to enable the contents of the said carton to be poured out, or to seal oif the contents so that spilling if the carton is accidentally knocked over for example is impossible. A further object of the invention is to provide a combined stopper and pouring device for a carton or the like which serves to prevent the contents of the said carton from becoming contaminated. Another object of the invention is to provide a stopper and pouring device which can be manufactured cheaply from sheet metal or other rigid thin material and which is robust and can be used over and over again.

The invention broadly consists of a hollow thin walled plug having a circular substantially co-planar cutting edge at its lower end so that it can cut out a disc from the carton or the like whereby the plug can be inserted in the aperture so formed, a head at the upper end of the plug, and a closure member on the head which member can be moved to close the plug outlet through the head or to open same for the purpose of pouring out the contents of the carton.

In order that a clear understanding of the invention may be obtained, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings showing by way of example only,

a preferred form of the invention and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the closure and pouring device,

Figure 2 is a plan view and Figure 3 a sectional side view.

The device shown in the drawings in particularly for use with cardboard cartons containing soap powder or similar powdered or granular substance and comprises a thin walled plug part 1 of circular cross-section. A part of said plug part as at 2 is formed as a thread, a part 3 as a cutting edge conveniently by chamfering the outer surface back to meet the inner surface and by making the edge of a serrated or scalloped form as shown. It will be seen that the cutting edge is of circular form and is substantially co-planar. This enables a disc to be cut from the cardboard carton, which is not sufliciently rigid to resist deformation on the application of hard pressure, by application of a fairly light pressure accompanied by a twisting or turning movement. The diameter across the cutting edge is slightly less than the diameter of the external surface of the plug. This enables the plug to be fitted tightly into the hole cut as the cardboard around the hole will give sufiiciently for the plug to be inserted.

The upper part of the plug has a head designated generally 4 which head has a peripheral wall 5 milled so as to facilitate finger gripping. This wall is conveniently made by bending the upper plug part back so that there is also formed a flat ring like part 6, the plug being hollow and open at both ends.

A removable closure or cover member for the open end is provided. As shown in the drawings, this consists of a disc member 7, pivoted by a pin or the like near its edge, such as a pin 8, to the ring like part 6 so that the disc can swing in a plane parallel with the plane of the part 6 to open or close the plug outlet. The disc 7 has a dished or depressed center part 9 of a diameter such that when the said disc is in its closing position fits snugly into the opening defined by the ring part 6.

Means such as the up-pressed clip or tongue 10 is provided to retain the disc in the closed position and a small knob or pip 11 is provided on the disc so that the swinging of the disc is facilitated, both the clip 10 and the pip 11 being diametrically opposite the pivot pin 8.

in using the device, the head is held and the lower end of the plug is applied to the carton surface at a convenient location, the device being pressed and twisted until a disc is cut from the carton. After the said out out disc has been removed, the plug is screwed into the carton until the lower edge of the wall 5 presses on the carton surface. When in position, the closure disc 7 normally covers the aperture and when it is required to pour from the carton, the disc is swung about its pivot so that the aperture is exposed.

it is customary with cartons for soap powders and the like to provide a part that can be torn back to obtain delivery of the contents but with such an arrangement it is impossible to close the carton when once it has been opened. The present invention provides a device which eliminates this disadvantage and one moreover which prevents contamination of the contents.

It will be understood that the invention may be used with cartons and the like containing sugar, rice and similar powdered or granular substances. Further, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Thus, the screw threads may be replaced by spaced apart nibs or other means which will engage the undersurface of the carton around the opening to prevent accidental removal, and any other form of closure for the opening may be provided.

The device in the drawing is shown to an enlarged scale. A convenient size for the device is with a plug of about one inch diameter. It is preferred also to make the outlet somewhat less than the internal diameter of the plug and as shown, the ring part 6 is constructed so that its diameter is less than the plug outlet diameter.

The preferred example illustrated in the drawings is one which can be constructed conveniently from thin metal. It is to be understood however, that material other than metal can be used and if found more convenient, the device could be made from plastic by moulding. Thus, the device could consist of a plug or barrel part of metal and a head of plastic material. In such a case, the head would be in the form of an annulus the circumferential surface of which could be serrated, with the closure member pivoted on to its top. Alternatively, the barrel and head could be of plastic although it would in this case, probably be preferable for the cutting part to consist of a metal ring. It will be understood that I do not limit myself to the material from which the device is constructed nor the precise method of manufacture, but that what I desire to cover by my Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Stopper and pouring device comprising a thin walled cylindrical plug, a cutting edge at the lower end of the plug, ahead at the upper end of the plug "said head consisting of a flange ring part around the open upper end of the plug and a downturned peripheral wall around said ring part, a closure disc pivoted on ring .part, means for retaining said disc in position on the head to close the open upper end of the .plug, and a screw threaded exterior on said plug 'below the plane of the lower end of the wall.

2. Stopper and pouring device as claimed in claim 1, comprising additionally a cham fered and serrated lower end to the plug,

3. Stopper and pouring device as claimed in claim 1, comprising additionally a dished or iii-pressed center part to the disc which part is of a diameter to fit into the ring part, and a tongue up-pressed from the said ring part'to retain the disc in the closed position.

4. Stopper and pouring devicecomprising a thin walled cylindrical ,plug, a circular cutting blade at the lower end of said plug, a head at the upper end of said plug said head consisting of a flanged ring part around the open upper plug end, a closure disc pivoted on said ring part to open or close the outlet, and a screw threaded part on the exterior of the plug below said head.

5. Stopper and pouring device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the diameter, across the cutting edge of the blade is slightly less than the diameter of the external plug surface.

References Cited in the .fi'le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 606,511 Buckles June 28, 1898 1,556,206 Dickey e a- Oct. 6,,1925 1,557,861 Moreida Oct. 20, 1925 1,747,957 Silveus Feb. 18, 1930 1,866,073 

